History of the Goose Game There are various interpretations of the origin of the “Game of the Goose,” or “Goose Game,” A.K.A. “Juego de la Oca” (Spanish), “Gioco Dell’Oca” (Italian), “Jardin de L’Oie” (French), “Gänsespiel“ or “Ganzenbord“ (Deutsch), “Joc de la oca” (Catalan), “Jogo do Ganso” (Portuguese), and more.

Researches have linked the game to various labyrinthical drawings found as far back as pre- historic times in various parts of the globe, Egypt being one. The goose, on the other hand, has been regarded as a wise, ancestral, animal, ofsymbolic importance; the only one that can walk, swim, and fly. Some document the Goose Game to circa 3,000 B.C., the discus of Phaistus, and the siege of Troy; the argument being that Greek soldiers invented it to pass the time during the decade-long war.

It is also documented that Spain’s King Philip II received it as a gift from Florentine ambassador Francesco de Medici in the 1500’s, and that from the Castilian Court, it went on to become popular with noble and ordinary Europeans.

There are other sources that trace its beginnings to Russia, England, and France. By the 16th century the game is documented to have existed in Italy and Britain; in Mexico in the 1800s.

That having been said, independently of the source one chooses to believe, the fact is that it became a very popular, traditional, game, played mostly in Europe as a family entertainment. Commercial versions appeared in the 19 th century, featuring typical European characteristics as an old well and kids wearing period clothes. It is thought to be the prototype for many commercial European racing board games of recent centuries. For some unexplained reason(s) the game did not travel well to the Western Hemisphere, although it is known in various parts of Latin America.

The Goose Game was the basis for a game and TV stunt show in Italy named “Il Grande Gioco Dell'Oca” (“The Great Game of the Goose”), as well as the nearidentical Spanish version, “El gran juego de la oca” (same). The long- running Spanish TV version of the game, now seen as re- runs, ran from 1993 to 1995, and again in 1998, as “El nuevo juego de la oca” (“The New Game of the Goose”).

“Playing the game” There are no strategies to learn in the Goose Game. It is, like much of life, all about luck. Number of players: A minimum of two, a maximum of … Equipment: Game board, one or two dice, and one pawn per player.

Rules for the traditional version of the Goose Game To start: Each player chooses a distinct playing pawn and rolls the two dice; the highest roll determines who plays first. Turns move clockwise.

The game board pattern is a spiral of 63 fields, from the outside to the inside. Many fields have special hazards or benefits for players who land on them. The object of the game is to travel along the spiral from fields 1 to 63. The first player who successfully lands exactly on field 63 is the winner. On each turn, a player rolls the two dice (or one dice, should the teacher want the the game to last longer) and advances the pawn along the spiral by as many fields as the sum of the dice. The player must deal with any situation on the space landed on, be theyhazards or benefits. These are described ahead.

Start with all players' pawns on the space outside of “start.” Take turns rolling the dice and moving. It is not necessary to roll any particular number to enter a counter onto the fields. Two playing pieces may not occupy the same field at the same time. Whenever you land on an occupied field, that player's counter goes back to the space you came from, and you get the vacated space. (In short, you trade places.)

Whenever you land on a field with a goose, you double your move. That is, you advance again the sum of the dice you just rolled. If that puts you on yet another goose, advance again, until you no longer land on a goose. (You may land in a trap yet, after all this wild- goose chasing.)

You must arrive on field 63 by an exact count of the dice. If you overthrow the required number, you must step forward into 63 and then move backwards the surplus number of points. If this lands you on a goose, continue moving backwards the same count again.

You may use the number of either of your two dice to reach field 63. If you reach it with an exact count, it is not necessary to use the number on the second die. If neither of the two dice has the exact number you need to reach 63, you must use their sum for your back track.

The spacing of the goose fields is such that a roll of 9 on a first turn would send a player directly home, so a special provision is made for a roll of 9 on the first turn: If the roll is a 6 and 3, move directly to field 26; if the roll is a 4 and 5, advance all the way to 53. This rule applies only to a player's very first roll of the game. Rolling doubles does not count extra and has no special benefit.

The Special Fields 6. The Bridge --If you land on 6, advance immediately to field The Inn -- The good food and drink makes you sleepy, and you lose I turn. (Exception: if another player lands at the Inn within the same turn, you change places and you go back to the space that player just came from.) 31. The Well --If you fall in the Well, lose 2 turns—unless another player landing there releases you sooner, sending you back to the field that player just arrived from. 42. The Maze -- You get lost and go back to field The Prison -- If you land in prison, you stay there until another player landing there relieves you and you go back to that player's last field. 58. Death -- Your goose is cooked. Go back to the beginning and start all over. The Goose: 5, 9, 14, 18, 23, 27, 32, 36, 41, 45, 50, 54, and 57. The Dice: 26 or 53. Go forward or backward

Examples of games